Ten Surprising Reasons Students Don't Go To School

This fall, U.S public schools will welcome back a majority of students who are living in poverty. In urban, suburban and rural school districts across the country, a shocking 51% of public school students are now low-income, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Many will come to school hungry, homeless, ill-clothed or lacking basic medical care. And their teachers are likely to be overwhelmed by their level of need. In fact, a poll this summer of teachers nationwide found that last year alone, 54% of teachers used their own money to help feed students and 49% of teachers helped their students get new clothing or footwear. So as back-to-school approaches, Communities In Schools, the nation’s largest and most effective dropout prevention organization, is working hard to help these at-risk students. By helping these students overcome the non-academic barriers in their lives, CIS is helping kids focus on learning and freeing up teachers to teach.